Automatic car-coupling.



J. WILLISON. AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION vmen nsc.3|.1913. nENEwEu Auefxo, 191s.

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l. WILLISON.

' AUTOMATIC .CAR COUPUNG.

APPLICATION FILED Dsc. 31. Isla. mNEwEn Aue. zo. 191s.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

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J. WlLLlSON.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED 02031, I9I3. IIENEwEo Aue. I0, I9Is.

l Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

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J. WILLISON. AUTOMATIC CAR couPLlNG. APPLICATION FILED DECSI. 1913. RENEWED AUG. I0 1916.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 k. m :I: www Q S s B 1 m. Q w .Nw 1 .Q N 1. .RMP 1|.. NN mi N NWN 3 wboz V carrying the block remains in engagement vJOHN WILLISON, 0F DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. i Y

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application lled December 31, 1913, Serial No. 809,602. Renewed August 10, 1916. Serial No. 114,294.

condition with another similar coupler headv by means of a pair of gravity locking blocks,

mounted one in each coupler head in recesses provided for the purpose, the blocks overlapping each other when in locking position and being slidable on inclined surfaces so that they can be moved out of engagement with each other to permit the relative lateral movements necessary in coupling and uncoupling operations.

The improvements have Afor one of their objects improved means for shifting a lock* ing block along its inclined surface or surfaces into a retracted Aor unlocking position and for retaining it there so that the coupler heads on two vehicles can, during shunting operations, engage each other without becoming locked together.

Another object of the improvements isto provide means whereby a locking block, when thus shifted into the retracted position may be retained in that position, after the above said retaining means has been operated in a manner that it ceases to retain the block, as long as the coupler head with another coupler head and may become free to return automatically to the forwardl or locking position as soon as the two heads;

move apart and become disengaged. y Y A further ob 'ect 'is to form the locking blocks in a `manner that they will be better able to transmit the lateral stresses that may come upon them and vbe more efliciently guided during their sliding movements.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings 1n which- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively side elevation and a plan showing the couplers locked in the engaged position. Figs. 3 and a coupler head disengaged showing an intermediate position'of the locking block, Fig. 8

shows a plan, side and end views of a locking block, and Fig. 9 shows views of a lock set device.

The parts of the improved coupler corresponding to those of the coupler described and illustratedv in the above cited application, have similar reference letters applied to them in the accompanying drawings and need notbe again described. l The means for retracting the `locking blocks comprisesl according-to this invention, a spindle 7c rotatably mounted in the walls of the hollow shank b of the coupler; the ends 7c -of the spindle project at 'each side ofthe shank andare suitably formed for the attachment of a handle or other convenient actuating member. The central portion 7a2 of the-spindle is cranked or given a cam form for a purpose hereinafter eX- corresponding plained. Arranged below the spindle Zo is a rod or bar Z adapted to slide lengthwise and if necessary between suitable guides, upon the bottom wall of the shank. The outer end Z of this rod is pivotally connected with the tail f2 of the locking block f; at the inner end there is an upturned part Z2. When the two members of the retracting device are assembled and the locking block is in its normal forward or locking position, the crankedportion 7a2 will be outwardly directed lying uponthe upper surface of the rod Z. If the spindle 7c be now turned so that the cranked portion 7a2v rotates upwardly andV rearwardly, this portionkc'fwill first move into engagement with the part- Z2 and in further rotary movement will-push the part Z2 with lthe rod vZ rearwardly. The block by reason of its engagement with the arm Z will be thus retracted, with its lateral -shelf-like projection f5 sliding up between the inclined guiding surfaces g2, g3, formed on one of the inner side walls of the coupler head.

n order that the cranked portion 7a2 may pass from its forwardly directed position to its eXtreme rearwardly directed position and vice versa the spindle has to be turned for each such movement through an angle of 1800. The two cXtreme positions of the cranked portion will be in the plane of the front and rear dead centers thereof, so that when the cranked portion has been moved into its rearward position and the locking block thereby retracted the latter will be retained in the inoperative position by the cranked portion, lying in the plane of its dead center until suchtime as it is turned back and lifted out of the rearwardly directed and dead center positionV whereupon the block, unless otherwise retained as eX- plained below becomes free to slide forward along the surface g2 into the locking position.

ln order that a lock may be still held in unlocking or retracted position, while two coupler heads remain in engagement after the spindle has been turned back int-o the forwardly directed position and the lock may yet be free to assume its normal locking position so that its coupler head becomes armed as soon as the coupler ceases to be in engagement with the other' coupler head, an automatic lock-set deviceis provided on the coupler head. This device comprises a member ony slidably and pivotally mounted on the coupler head wall by means of its slot m and the pin a suitably secured in said wall, as for instance by a cotter pin n.

rlhe lock set member fm, is retained in position against that wall by a suitably formed 'part o projecting from the wall, and by reason of the pin and slot connection the member my is capable of both a pivotal and an upward sliding movement. As long as a coupler is out of engagement with another,

its member m will remain in its lowest position suspended from its pin n. lf the rod Z be operated so that the block correlated therewith is withdrawn rearwardly to itsy full extent, that is to its dead center position, the laterally projecting part or rib of the block will be caused to pass beneath and thereby raise the member m, (Fig. 7), which, as soon as the part /f6 has passed sufficiently to the rear to be clear of it, will drop to a greater or less extent in front of the part f6, thus preventing the block returning to its locking or operative position as long as the member m remains in engagement with the face d2 of an opposing coupler. As soon as this opposing coupler moves away, or if there be no opposing coupler the lock set member m` is free to swing forward under the pressure imparted to it by the block, the cooperating faces m2 and f7 being suitably formed to facilitate such action.

The locking block can thus be held in coupler head associated with it merely engages another coupler head, when the heads of two couplers engage their locking blocks mutually push each other back sufliciently to allow the lateral movement of the heads on the bufing contour faces.

In the. coupler shown in my above cited application, the locking block was guided in its to and fro sliding movements by means of the recess g formed at the top of the coupler head between its two jaws, while lateral'strains coming on the block were transmitted to the walls of this recess. The locking block projection f6 is provided with a slot or guideway f7 for the reception of the part gA1 depending from the coupler head and carrying the inclined surfaces g2, g3. The engagement of the slot f7 with the part g4 will prevent any lateral movement of the locking block beyond what is purposely allowed for the easy working of the parts, and lateral stresses coming on the block are transmitted to both the portion g4 and upper part of the side wall of the coupler head, while the guide surfaces g2, g3 prevent the block rising vertically.

A. coupling chain y' removably carried by a lug 29 projecting from theV wall of the recess g may be provided for use when the improved automatic coupler is used with a vehicle having an ordinary draw-hook coupling.

When assembling the several parts of the improved coupling, the coupling chain is passed sidewise on to the lug p before the locking block is introduced into the recess, and the locking block when introduced prevents removal of said chain from the lug.

The lug p may be dished longitudinally or otherwise suitably shaped so as to retain a chain g, suspended from it, out of contact with the side of the locking block. The free end of the lug may serve not only as a guide for the block in its to and fro sliding movements, but also to retain the block on its bearings g2, g3.

Having now described the nature of my said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, l claim 1. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type a gravity actuated lock, the lock having a lateral project-ion thereon, a lock-setting mechanism comprising a member having a pivoted engagement with the coupler head and a shoulder extending into the path of movement of the projection on the lock,

the said lock-setting device being adapted to be held in the path of the projection on the lock by contact with the opposing coupler.

2. In a car coupler ofthe vertical plane type a gravity-actuated lock having a lateral projection thereon, and a lock-setting device adapted to be held in the path of the projection on the lock by contact With the opposing coupler head.

3. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type a gravity-actuated lock having a lateral projection thereon, a lock-setting device normally lying in the path of said projection and being adapted to be brought into operation by contact With the opposing coupler head, the movement of the lock being normally unrestrained by the lock-setting device.

4. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type a gravity-actuated lock, a lock setting mechanism normally lying in the path of a portion of the lock, the said lock-setting mechanism being pivotally attached to the `coupler head and being free to slide vertically to permit the operation of the lock during the unlocking movement.

5. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a gravity-actuated lock operating in said cavity, a lifter engaging said lock, said lifter being secured to and operated by a cam spindle seated in the shank of the coupler.

6. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type a coupler head adapted for lateral movement having a cavity therein, a locking block mounted in guides in said cavity, said locking block being held in its guides by a boss extending laterally from a Wall of the cavity, the said boss being adapted to support a link of a coupling chain.

7. In a car coupler of the vertical plane type a coupler having a cavity therein, a gravity-actuated lock operating in said cavity, a boss adapted to bear against one side of said lock and being also adapted for the suspension of a coupling chain therefrom,

the boss being dished to hold the coupling chain out of contact With the lock.

JOHN WILLISON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH MmLARD, WV. J. SKERTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

